Fullmetal, Wind and Flames
by Shida San
Summary: Back in Central once again. ED and AL are serching for the stone. But now they are taking another detour due to Roy's order's on a new serial killer. EdxOc, AlxOc Currently on hold
1. Chapter 1

This is my first FMA fanfic so don't be surprised if it sucks anyway. I'm mor of an artist than a writer. So enjoy my attempt at a fanfic.

Ps. I don't own Full Metal Alchemist or any of the characters from it. But I do own Eliza, and the other added characters.

Okay so I went through what I've written so far and figured it could use some touching up. I've re-posted the chapters with a few changes. But not too many. It's still the same story though.

Anyway, on with the story**

* * *

**

**A new flame to worry about**

"Well brother, what do you think?"

"It's way too risky. Going by an untested theory isn't the best way to go. So let's see what we can dig up back at the library."

"Good idea. At least then we might have some better options."

Returning to Central once again, after another long detour in finding the Philosopher's Stone. The Elric brothers debate over the next step on their journey. Just outside of HQ, a large crowd gathered in the street, caught their attention, and out of curiousity, they went to see what the fuss was about. The sudden burst of flames startled them, and lot's of shouting followed.

"Geeze what happened? The Colonel decide to show off to the puplic now, or what?"

"It's not the Colonel Ed, look."

"Huh?"

When the smoke cleared, everyone stood staring in disbelief. A young girl with silvery blue hair, who looked about the age of thirteen, stood with her hands on her hips, and an unimpressed look on her face. Three men were lying on the ground in front of her, twitching from the burns they had received.

"Hah! That otta teach you guys not to try and steal from me! Or haven't I made my point clear enough for you?"

"No, no! Leave us alone!", one of the men yelled, "Stay away from us you crazy little witch!

"HEY! I'm not a witch! And who are you calling little!", she began to raise her hands, pointing them at the three men.

All three of them scrambled to their feet, and took off running. The girl stared after them grinning, then she picked up her belongings, and turned to walk away. The crowd had parted, leaving Ed and Al to ponder over the whole event.

"Brother, she used alchemy for that, didn't she? But I didn't see a transmutation circle."

"Yeah. Makes me curious."

Ed stood with his arms folded, thinking to himself about what they had just seen. Of course, it was no surprise to see other alchemists around. The odd thing was to have no circles. Few people were capable of it, and it made chill's run down Ed's back just to think of it.

"Brother, we should really be getting back. The Colonel's expecting our report."

"Huh? Oh right, come on Al."

The two headed out. While waiting, Edward was dreading every moment to come. He would have to listen to the Colonel's constant sarcasm, and complaining. Cracking short jokes at every chance he got. Something that got rather annoying , very quickly. Even though Ed had grown, he was still considered under average height for his age. Al sat quietly waiting for his brother to finish his report. As usual, Ed sat impatiently, waiting for the Colonel's response.

"(sigh) Fullmetal, what am I going to do with you?"

"What do you mean by that?", Ed was looking annoyed already.

"It doesn't seem to matter where you go, you always cause a fuss. Not to mention the destruction."

"Hey! I was only following the information we had to go on! And it turned out to be another wild goose chase anyway!"

"There's no need to get defensive. Just next time try to cause a little less damage."

Ed only huffed at the Colonel' words. He stood up ready to leave. Mustang was silent, but just as Ed was turning to walk away, he spoke.

"Some words of advice Fullmetal. There's been recent reports of another serial killer on the loose. They not only target state alchemists, but civilians as well.", Edward turned to face him, "I suggest you lay low for a while, untill we can clear this up."

"And if I decide not to?"

"I can still have you court martialed you know. I suggest you take my advice for now.", a smirk came across his face.

"Why you! mmm... fine."

Ed left the Colonel's office, plotting in his head on how to get back at Mustang. He met up with Al, and the two headed off for some well deserved rest.

----Meanwhile----

"Zander You Jerk! What did you do her!"

"Nothing!"

"You Liar! Zowy's got bruises all over her! What the heck did you do!"

"Big sister, it's not his fault. I was playing and fell down a hill. Please don't yell at him.", she said looking up at the older girl.

Ruffling her blue bangs, Sarah gave a deep sigh. She had just got back from shopping, only to find her little sister beat up. Her brother Zander had been looking after her while she was gone, so naturally she jumped to conclusions. Thing's had been tough the past few years for the three siblings. With their parent's travelling from place to place, Sarah was in charge as the eldest.

"I thought you were supposed to watch her Zander?", she raised an eyebrow towards him.

"I was. I warned her about the hill, but she tripped. It was just an accident."

"Right. What would happen if mom saw her like that huh? She'd probably kill me."

"I'd explain it all to her. You know that." , he looked at his sister, hoping she would just calm down.

Sarah only shook her head. Their family wasn't exactly a close knit one. With their parents constantly gone, she was left to pick up the peices. This was her reason for taking up alchemy. To protect her family. Ever since she could rememeber, Sarah had been the one to defend them. At a young age, she began to study alchemy, and chose to deal with the element of fire. She carried the things she had bought into the house, setting them on the kitchen table. She then turned to her younger sister and smiled.

"Come on Zowy. Let's get you cleaned up."

"Okay.", the little girl smiled back, running after her to the bathroom.

Zander watched them. He couldn't help feeling guilty about his little sister. It wasn't his fault, but he still beat himself mentally for it. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, The young teen went to his own room, where he sat for a long while.

--Back at Central HQ--

Alphonse was waiting patiently for his brother to return. His thoughts trailed off on different things. Like how their mission had been a dead end once again, and remembering of all the other times before. "_Poor Ed. I wonder how much longer we'll have to keep serching?_". His thought's were interrupted by the door suddenly flying open, to reveil a rather annoyed Edward. Flopping himself down on the bed across from Al, he let out a sigh and fell backwards on to the blankets, and explained to Al their situation.

"I really don't know how much longer I can take this.", Ed spoke while starring at the ceiling, "The Colonel still thinks we're just a couple of kids."

"Well, at least we can take a bit of a break now. And besides, it wasn't all bad. We ended up helping a few people along the way."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Brother?"

"Yeah?"

"What about that girl we saw today?"

"The one that didn't use a transmutation cirlce?"

"Yeah."

"What about her?"

"What if we tried asking her? Maybe she knows something."

"(sigh), We can't just go asking every alchemist who seems a little different Al. Not all of them are interested in the stone."

"Yeah, but still. It couldn't hurt to ask."

"I suppose.", he stretched, and a yawn escaped from his mouth, "Well I'm beat. See ya in the morning Al."

Ed swung his feet onto the bed and rolled over on his side. It wasn't long before he was fast asleep. Al watched his brother, and wondered what their next move would be. He knew very well that Ed couldn't sit still for long.

--Somewhere on the outskirts of the city--

The city streets were bustling with the usual night life, as a hooded figure stood silent under a lamp post. The only thoughts on her mind, correcting a mistake before its too late. Walking slowly in the direction of Central HQ, hoping to find the information she was looking for.

"Damn. Where are you Allan?", she looked towards the sky, as the dim light from the city, faded the view of the stars.

As she continued towards the military structure, clouds slowly rolled in over the city, and the slight roar of thunder could be heard. The young girl kept walking, tilting her head downwards as the rain began to fall. The few poeple around her scurried off to find shelter. She simply kept walking, as a small grin came across her face.

"Guess I better find a place to stay. It figures.", she spoke softly to herself, as she headed off into the dark haze.

--The next morning--

"Ed! Come on get up!", the giant suit of armor was shaking a still sleeping Edward, to wake him.

Ed only shoved him away and continued to sleep. Al was getting a bit frustated. Lieutenant Hawkeye had told him the Colonel was looking for them. Which was reason enough for Ed to get up. Even if he hated it.

"Brother pease. The Colonel wants to talk to us about something.", trying once more to shake Ed out of slumber.

The only response Ed gave, was a moan, and turned over on his side. Al sighed, scratching his head, trying to think of another way to wake his brother up. As Al was about ready to yell at the sleeping lump in front of him, he heard a faint purring sound. Looking down at his brother, Al saw the furry cause of the noise. Curled up right next to Edward's head, was an orange kitten with brown stripes. Al panicked. Ed hadn't seen the cat yet, and most likely he wouldn't be too happy about it.

"Meow."

"Shhh! Get down from there little guy, you'll wake brother."

Al tried to shoo the cat away from Edward, but to no avail. The little orange furball was content in staying where it was, and kept purring. Becoming slightly nervous Al bent down to pick up the kitten as gently as possible, until it stretched then rubbed itself against the back of Ed's head, frizzing his hair slightly. Al gasped and reached for the kitten, but it was too late. From what sounds to be a soft rumbling of some sort, and the soft caressing that came from Ed's neck as weariness finally left him, Ed finally opened his eyes. Turning over just a bit, Ed came face to face with the cute little orange furball that woke him.

"Meow.", the cat seemed almost happy that he was awake.

"Al, why is there a cat beside my head?", a slightly annoyed tone was detected, as he glared at his younger brother.

"Well you see... I found him by the entrace last night, and it was raining. Brother, I couldn't leave him out there.", Al pleaded.

Ed sat up, and the kitten crawled onto his lap. Nuzzling agains't him, the cat let out another faint "meow", as if telling Ed to let him stay. Edward sighed, and scratched behind the cat's ear. The little orage ball of fluff purred loudly, enjoying the attention.

"We can't keep him Al. Pet's aren't allowed in the dorms, remember?", he said, while still scratching behind the kitten's ear, "And besides, how would we take care of him? We don't have the time."

"But brother, he doesn't have a home."

"Al..."

"Can't we at least keep him until we find him a place to live?", Al begged.

"(sigh), All right, you win. But only untill we find him a good home.", Ed replied, as he stood up with the kitten in his arms.

"Thanks brother.", Al was smiling, unseen because of the armour.

Ed handed the cat to his brother and yawned. He stretched, and walked over to the chair where he had thrown his coat earlier the night before. Then he turned again to face his brother.

"So Al, what was it you were saying? About the Colonel wanting to see us?"

"So you did hear me. You could have said something!", Al scolded.

"Yeah well," ,Ed laughed, "I didn't really wanna get up. So what does he want now?"

"I'm not really sure. Lieutenant Hawkeye said to see him in his office as soon as possible."

"Hmm. Well I guess standing around isn't going to tell us. Let's get moving Al."

Ed headed out the door, throwing his coat on as he walked. Al put out a box for the kitten, setting the furry, little, orange ball inside. He followed his brother out the door, shutting it behind him as he waved to the cat.

Just outside Roy's office, the boys waited. Ed tapped his fingers impatiently on the arm of his chair, while Al sat quietly.

"Dammit. He said as soon as possible, and here we are waiting once again! He's got a lot of nerve jerkin us around like that!"

"I'm sure the Colonel has his reasons. Just be patient brother.", Al replied calmly, to his brother's annoyed statement.

"Right. All of them I'm sure are selfish and conceted ones.", snapped Ed.

Alphonse was about to protest to his brother's words, when Lieutenant Hawkeye stepped out of Roy's office. She turned to face the brother's, her face stern as always.

"Edward, Alphonse. The colonel will speak with you now.", she said.

"Great, it about time.", came the sarcastic response from Ed.

The boys followed her inside and took a seat. Hawkeye proceeded to stand next to the colonel's desk, where Roy Mustang sat. The same smug grin on his face, and fingers folded under his chin. Looking up to see Edwards unamused expression, Mustang stood up from his desk.

"Well Fullmetal. Glad to see you decided to join us on time this morning."

"Right, whatever. What's the summons for this time?", Ed snapped.

"It's about the mysterious serial killer. There's been several persons spotted in the vicinity that are believed to be suspects in the case."

"And?", Ed tapped his foot impatiently.

"I want you and Al to get as much information on them as possible, and report back to me when finished."

"You sure it's not just Scar stirring up more trouble colonel?", Ed replied.

"No. Scar's still with the Ishballens. We would have identified him much sooner if it were him."

Ed looked at his brother. Al didn't say anything.

"(sigh), So in other words, you want us to stop our search, and stick our noses in somthing thats probably not worth our time. Am I right?", Edward glared at Mustang.

"It's hardly not worth the time. This has become quite a serious matter. I'm not asking you to hunt them down. I only want you to gather info on them.", Roy stepped out from behind his desk.

With that said, the boys got up, and started towards the door. But before they could leave, Roy added another peice of advice.

"Just watch your back out there Fullmetal. You're in danger as well as the civilian alchemists out there."

"We'll be fine colonel. Ed and I will watch eachother's backs.", Al answered for both of them.

Without another word, the two were gone. Roy stood starring out his window, with Riza bside him. She glanced at him for a moment before she spoke.

"Do you think it was a wise decision to send them sir?

"If anyone can did up the information, it's those two. I wouldn't worry too much about them Lieutenant."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Waking up to the sound of her sister whining, Sarah rolled over in her bed, grumbling. She could hear the argument between her two younger siblings down in the kitchen. As much as she would have liked to sleep a bit longer, Sarah knew if she didn't do something, the fight wouldn't stop. Throwing the blankets off of herself, she trudged downstairs to interfere with the argument.

"What the heck is going on down here!", she yelled, still in her pyjamas.

"I was just going to cook some breakfast for her, and she started whining. She want's you to do it.", Zander replied, quite rudley.

"You always burn what you make.", Zowy whined.

"Oh for crying out loud.(sigh) Fine, I'll make breakfast. Just stop fighting you two.", Sarah, shook her head.

"Well she started it.", the boy snapped.

"Did not!", Zowy squeeled.

"Zander Kayshati! That's enough. Both of you, just sit down and wait!"

Planting her hands on her hips, Sarah glared angrily at them. Zowy sat down at the table. She knew Sarah was upset, and didn't want to make it worse. Zander crossed his arms and sulked. He hated being told what to do. Especially by his older sister.

"You're not mom. So don't order me around like you own me!", he yelled. His brown eye's stating a silent challenge.

"Big brother, that wasn't nice."

"Hmph.", ignorring his little sister's words completely.

Sarah was speechless. Watching her brother walk away, it hurt her to hear those words. She knew she wasn't their mother. She knew it was hard for all of them, but there was nothing she could do about it. And yet it seemed as though she was always pounding on him, for the things that went wrong. Guilt threatened to bring her to tears, but she banished it from her mind for the time being. They would all just have to gritt their teeth and bear whatever came their way.

Sitting in his room, the fourteen year old boy sulked over the previous event. He wanted so much for his parents to just come home and stay. They had even missed his last birthday because of their continuous travelling. "_Stupid Sarah. Why does she have to hound me all the time?_", he sat thinking to himself. He hated having to be protected by a girl, even if she was his older sister. Deciding not to wonder on the subject any longer, he picked up a book that he had been reading, and dove into the pages, clearing his mind of everything.

After cooking her sister breakfast, Sarah proceeded to her own room. She gathered some clean cloths and headed for the shower. Still thinking of the harsh words that came from her brothers lips. She did her best, but it seemed as though it was never enough. Letting the warm water run down from her head to her toes, she stood eyes closed, as the heat soothed her mind. When she had finished, Sarah had to go out for a while and finish her shopping from the day before. Zowy watched as she put her shoes on.

"Do you have to leave now? You promised to show me your alchemy sister.", the little girl gave a sad face.

"I'll be back soon. You be good okay.", she said, giving her sister a hug, "Keep an eye on Zander for me. I'm counting on you."

"Okay.", Zowy's face brightened at the thought of being trusted with something important, and Sarah winked at her in assurance.

Standing up again, she hollared up the stairs.

"Zander! I'm leaving now. So don't be too hard to put up with!"

When no answer came, she sighed. Patting her sister on the head, she walked out the door, and headed down the street.

* * *

--Back at Central HQ--

The boys were ready to leave. Ed was still somewhat aggitated from the Colonel's delay on the meeting. Hands in his pockets, he entertained himself by kicking a rock down the street as they walked. Al simply followed after him, thinking about their current mission at hand. The Colonel hadn't ordered them to stop looking for the Philosopher's Stone completely, and it wasn't out of their minds. But with the task at hand, they would have to set aside looking for it, just for a while.

"The Colonel didn't give much detail as to where we should look for information.", Al said, breaking the silence.

"Probably just want's to make it harder for us. Damn, he sure knows how piss me off."

"But he didn't say anything bad to you brother."

"He never has to. That stupid grin on his face says it for him Al.", Ed answered.

"So where should we go first?", Al asked, attempting to change the topic.

Ed thought for a minute. Stopping in his tracks, he remembered the girl with silvery blue hair. Turning to his brother, he made his suggestion.

"Why not look for that girl? No circles is suspicious as is. Maybe she can tell us something about this mess,"

"You think? She didn't seem like she would do much, other than defend herself. And she was awfully pretty."

"Well like you said Al. It couldn't hurt to ask. And you think every girl is pretty.", he laughed.

Since neither of them knew where she lived, the boys began to ask people about her. After several tries with no luck, they were beginning to think otherwise on finding and questioning the girl. It was around noon, when the two of them finally decided to take a break. They had stopped at a food vender, so Ed could get something to eat. Al stood close by, watching as all sort's of people that passed by them. Out of how many they had asked, not one of them knew the girl they were looking for. And it didn't seem like anyone knew much about their mysterious killer on the loose eigther. While Ed was taking his time selecting what he wanted, a small noise brought Al to attention.

"Meow"

"Oh no, I can't let brother know I brought him with me.", looking for a place to hide for a moment.

Al hurried over to a corner, and brought out the little furball from his amour. The kitten blinked at him, and purred when Al scratched behind it's ear. Thinking of what he was going to do about the cat, Al looked over to his brother, who was now heading back in his direction with a huge tacco in his hands. Al panicked once again. He couldn't let Ed see the cat with him. Looking down, his panicking got worse, when he saw the kitten was gone. Looking around, he spotted the orange ball of fluff walking away. "_Oh no!_". Getting up to chase after it, and leaving Ed to wonder what the heck was going on, Al didn't even see the person the cat was heading towards. Stopping directly at her feet, the kitten rubbed it's head against the girl's leg. She stopped to see what it was, and she knelt down to pat it.

"Hey there cutey, you lost?", she smiled, and picked up the little orange furball, "I wonder where you came from?"

"Meow", the kitten looked at her.

She stood with the cat in her arms, stroking it's soft fur, Al had finally caught up with the kitten. He slowed to a stop, directly in front of the girl as she looked up to see him. He was quite surprised, when he realized who it was holding the orange cat in front of him. It was the girl he and Ed had been looking for.

"Oh, hello. Is this little one your's?", she said, as her soft greyish eyes blinked.

"Oh no. I found him the other day. My brother and I are trying to find someone to take care of him.", came Al's response, after a few second's of staring.

"I see. He's awfully cute.", the kitten batted at a strand of her bluish hair.

The girl smiled at the cat, then looked back at Al. While the two exchanged glances for a moment, Edward had finally found his brother, and was ready to start yelling. That is untill he saw who Al was with. Running up to stand beside his brother, Ed took note of the girl. It was the same one they had seen the day before.

"I see you found her. And why the hell didn't you say something before running off like that Al!"

"I was just trying to...", Al stopped, and remembered he was trying to hide the cat from his brother.

"Um, excuse me? You were looking for me?", the girl intereupted them.

The brothers stopped their little staring contest, and turned their attention back to the girl. She was looking at them with curiousity written all over her face. Wondering to herself, what sort of trouble she had goten into, just by going out to get groceries. Not to mention the oddness of a guy in a suit of armour, chasing after a little kitten.

"Well, yeah. We were.", came Ed's reply, after a few seconds.

"You're the girl from the fight yesterday. Right out front of Central Headquarters."

"Oh, you guys saw that did you?", she wondered what they were getting at.

"Yeah. We wanted to ask you a few questions."

"Who are you guys anyway?", that question had been bugging her the minute she bumped into Al.

"I'm Alphonse, Elric. And this is my older brother..."

"Edward, Elric.", finishing Al's introduction, and pointing to himself grinning.

"You work for the military? Alchemist's right?"

"Thats' right.", Al answered her.

"What exactly do you guys want from me? I'm no state alchemist."

"No, but you performed your alchemy yesterday without a transmutation circle.", Ed replied to her question.

"We were wondering if you might know something, about the recent serial killings."

She stopped to think. These two were asking her about something she knew very little about. She was too busy to bother with stuff like that. But how would they know that right? Trying to recall anything possible to help them, her mind was blank.

"Sorry. Can't say I've heard much about all of that.", she answered them.

"Meow."

Remembering the little orange ball of fluff in her arms, she smiled daown at the kitten. Al became tense, and looked away, trying to find anything to stare at besides his brother's face. Ed's raised an eyebrow, as he finally noticed the cat in the girl's arms.

"Al. Did you bring him with us?", glaring at his younger brother.

"Brother, he needs a home! I thought we might try to find him one while we were looking." Al flared in his defence.

"Al!"

"Ed you are so cruel!"

As the two of them began to bicker about the little feline, the girl simply watched them. She started to giggle, then fell into a full hearted laugh soon after. The boy's looked at her as if she had grown leaves out of her ears or something.

"What's so funny!", Ed barked at her, annoyed by her laughter.

"You guys! You're fighting over a little kitten. If it's such a hassle, then I'll take him home with me.", she smiled, trying to hold back the few giggles still lingering.

"You will?", Al sounded happy to hear it.

"Sure. My little sister loves cat's. And I've been looking for a pet for a while, to teach her a little responsibility.", she replied.

"Well, thats a load of our shoulders.", Ed sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"Sure, it's no problem at all."

"Could you tell us your name?", Al asked.

"It's Sarah. Sarah Kayshati.", she smiled, and patted her new kitten.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3, Bad news. Suspect on the run.**

The young woman sat on top of Central Headquarters, watching the people in the city carry on with their lives as usual. She let the cool breeze caress her face, blowing strands of her Alburn hair, into her view from time to time. Deep in thought, she was completely silent, and had gone unoticed by any military personelle whatsoever. Her intentions set on finding any information possible, on a former state alchemist by the name Duncan Strylen, and the whereabouts of a young man, whom she called Allan. Rising to her feet, she jumped from the roof of the building, and headed strait for the Central library.

Once inside, the girl began searching through military records. Hoping to find anything at all on the former state alchemist. Unfortunately for her, there was no records of any such alchemist.

"Something isn't right. There should be some kind of files on him.", she spoke to herself.

She had been through nearly every file, there was. Nothing said anything on a Duncan Strylen ever being in the military's service. Setting the files back in place, she retreated from the library after hearing someone heading her way. Leaving through the window she had entered, she quickly left the grounds. Disappointed in the results of her search so far.

Returning to the small hotel room she had stayed at the night before, she took off her long, dark green jacket, then flopped herself down on the bed. Letting out a deep sigh, she stared at the ceiling. Contemplating on what her next move would be. "_He's obviously been here already. How else do you explain all grampa's files to be missing?", _shelay there, thinking to herself. "_I wonder if they'll notice it soon? Or if they'll even care. _".

"Allan. What are you going to do?", she said to no one in particular.

Eliza Strylen. An accomplished young lady, as well as an alchemist. She had learned at a young age, from her granfather, and since then continued with it. Although only sixteen, she seemed so much more mature. As one of two memebers left in her entire family, Eliza wanted nothing more, than to just let the pain fly free, from her mind. But as long as he was out there, she couldn't do that. She lay on the bed for a few more minutes, before finally deciding to get a shower. It was clear, she wouldn't find anything more here in Central.

* * *

--Meanwhile--

Sarah had brought the boys back with her to her home, talking along the way. She had accidenally pointed out that Ed wasn't exactly the tallest guy around. And of course he blew up at her for it, and came back at her with the fact she was about three inches shorter than him. Sara had a nice little tantrum over that. Al only laughed at it. It was funny to see someone other than Ed get upset over their hight. They arrived at Sarah's house shortly, but when they got there, they were hit with some horrifying news. Opening the door to find several military officers inside, and her sister Zowy, sobbing in Zander's arms. Ed and Al weren't completely sure why the military had come to this house, but hey had a feeling it had something to do with the murdurs, and their mysterious killer at large. And judging from the looks on all their faces, something serious had happened.

"Big sisiter!", the little girl ran to her, when she saw Sarah enter the house.

"Zowy, Zander. What...happened?", she knelt down, welcoming her younger sister into her arms.

"Mommy! And Daddy. They can't! I don't want them to be!", the little girl cried.

Ed and Al only watched. They stepped up to one of the officers, recognising him from the cigarette hanging from his mouth. Turning to look at the sobbing child in Sarah's arms, then back towards the officer, Ed began to ask him about the situation.

"Lieutenant Havoc? What's going on here?", his arms were folded across his chest.

"Ed, Al. You two got here at the right time. Or maybe it's not so right for them.", he glanced at the three siblings, then turned his gaze back to Edward.

"What do you mean? What's happened?", Al asked with concern in his voice.

Havoc was about to answer Al's question, until Zander answered it for him. The young man looked at them. His brown eyes full of sadness.

"Mom and Dad... they're...they're gone.", Zander lowered his eyes, and winced in horror.

"W...Wha? Gone? Zander what do you mean gone?", Sarah's eyes widened.

"I'm sorry Miss Kayshati. But there was an attack on one of the villages to the north. Your parents were there. Unfortunatley, they never made it out.", Havoc's answer was calm.

"No! He's lying! Sister tell him he's wrong! They promised! Mommy and Daddy promised they were coming home!"

Tears welled up in Sarah's eyes, and her sister sobbed even more into the neck of her shirt. The little girls tears and denial, made everyone in the room silent, and feeling sad for her and her siblings. Zander looked at the floor, as drops of water began to stain the polished boards just in front of him. Fists clenched at his sides, the boy tried to stay calm.

"Sarah, I...they.", his words wouldn't come.

"Zander.", she looked at him, standing up with Zowy still clutching part of her shirt, "It's okay brother."

"Sister.", running to her, Sarah put her arms around both of her siblings.

The three cried together, and one by one the Military officers left the house. Lieutenant Havoc was the last to leave. But before he did, he reminded Ed about the current task given to them by the Colonel. Havoc explained some of the details that the Colonel had given him. Edward litsened attentively, as the Lieutenant described the situation to him, and handed him an envelope containing all the infomation needed. Taking the paper from the Lieutenant, Edward nodded in acknowledgement, and Havoc left shortly after.

The recent suspect, had been spotted around the library at headquarters. Soldiers were sent to track the suspect, and pinpoint their location. Edward was to go and check it out as soon as possible.

Al had gone over to Sarah and the others, trying his best to cheer them up, he showed Zowy the kitten. The little girl's eyes brightened a bit, and she patted the cat. Sarah smiled at him, then turned to her little sister.

"Zowy, this man has someone who wants to cheer you up.", she said with a loving smile on her face.

"Wow! (sob) Big sister, are we going to keep him?", her bright green eyes, were still full of tears from crying.

"No, he's not for all of us. This little ones just for you Zowy. But promise me you'll take care of him okay? For Mom and Dad."

"Okay. I promise.", she wiped her eyes as she took the kitten from Al, "Thank you."

The little girl gave Al a hug, thanking him for the precious gift. He was glad to have cheered her up a little. Sarah had asked them to stay for a while, and the boys accepted. They talked for quite some time, while Zowy and her brother played with the cat in the livingroom. The boys asked a bit on their current assignment, just to make sure Sarah didn't know anything they could use, trying not to be too upfront, or pressure her too much. She told them what she knew about the killer, but it wasn't much help to them. Later, Sarah explained how her parents had always been so busy, travelling as researchers. And how she was the one who looked after her younger brother and sister while they were away. Ed asked her once again about her alchemy, and she explained the story behind it. She told them about when she was younger, and how she had been interested in some alchemy as a child. She wanted to be the one protecting her siblings, and home. Taking up the art of flame alchemy, she became very good at it.

Rolling up her sleeves, Sarah showed them the bands on her wrists. Transmutation circles were carved into the metal. She explained that her father had made them, just for her, so she could be ready always when she needed to use alchemy.

Now the boys understood how she used alchemy without drawing a circle. Looking at the clock on the wall, Ed decided they better get going. They still had to check out the place Havoc informed them on, and he wanted to get it done as soon as possible.

"Well, thanks for the hospitality Sarah. And I'm really sorry about your parents."

"I's okay Ed. It won't hurt this bad forever. I'm just glad to see Zowy's okay."

"Yeah, she seemed really happy to have the kitten.", Al replied to her.

"What about your brother? Will he be alright?", Ed looked towards where Zander and his younger sister were.

"It's been a long time since Zander even shed a tear. I gained an entire new respect for him today. And he did the same for me.", she smiled, "He's a strong guy, I think he'll be okay."

"Well, let's get going Al. There's still a lot of work to do."

"Right. Bye Sarah. And thanks a lot."

"You guy's are welcome here any time. So you better come visit.", she laughed.

The brothers left the house, and Sarah watched them from the doorway. Her heart ached from the news, and she knew it would for a ling time. She began to cry once more, as she went back inside the house. She had no idea why, but she had a gut feeling they were going to see each other again, very soon.

* * *

--Elsewhere--

"So this is the place?", Ed comented on the shabby little hotel in front of them.

"Brother, you think they're still here?"

"We won't know for sure til we go in and see. The Lieutenant gave us a description of the suspect. So it shouldn't be too hard to find em."

"Right."

The two went inside, and approched the front desk. They described their suspect to the clerk. Thin, and not really tall, but not short. Wearing a dark green jacket with a hood and no sleeves. They asked if anyone fitting that description had checked in or out in the past couple of days. The clerk scratched his head and thought. Then he remembered someone who had checked in two days before.

"There's someone in room one twenty that might be the person you're looking for."

"Great. Thanks pops.", Ed looked at Al, and the two headed for room one twenty.

When they got to the door, they stopped, and Ed knocked. They didn't recieve an answer, so he tried again. When no one replied, he turned to Al, and shrugged.

"Maybe they aren't here." Al said.

"No, the clerk said they came back earlier, and he was at the front desk the whole time. So they gotta be in here.", Edward replied, tapping his foot impatiently.

This time Ed banged his fist on the door. Yelling as he did so. Alphonse tried to shush his brother, saying that people might be sleeping. But Ed simply put his brothers word aside. Deciding there was no other way but to barge in and see for themselves. Al argued against it, trying to find a less destructive and noisy way inside.

But Ed wasn't listening. He had already found the door was locked, and used alchemy to open it. The door swung open, and the two went inside. Ed looked around the room, but there was no one there. A scowl came across Edwards face, as he stood in dissapointment.

"See. I told you they must have left.", Al stated.

"I don't believe this. Thats just plain suspicious to me.", Ed stood scratching the back of his head.

He walked over to the window, which was left open, and peered outside. He frowned when he didn't see any sign of an escape attempt. Bringing his head back inside, he turned to Al. Deciding his brother may have been right after all, and stepped away from the window.

They started to head for the door, when a powerful gust of wind came strait through the window. It knocked Ed over and threw Al against the wall. Then a figure ran past both of them, and out the door, slamming it shut behind them. Ed jumped to his feet, his face was red and sore from hitting the floor.

Letting his anger get the best of him, Edwards cursed, and immediately went in persuit of the cause of his rage.

Ed swung the door open again, and headed down the hall after their suspect, with Al trailing a bit behind. He followed the person through the building, out through the lobby and around to a back alley, where he had finally cornered them. Al didn't seen where Edward had gone after he left the building. Wondering which way his brother went, he took a guess and headed in the opposite direction Ed had gone.

Edward had the person cornered. And he wasn't about to let them go for smashing his face into the ground. The person was looking around for a way out, only to find that there wasn't one. Ed came up behind them, and laughed. Confident, and cocky as usual, he was determined to get their suspect, and get back to headquarters.

"Hah! I've gotchya now! Why don't you just come peacfully, so I don't have to hurt anyone.", he said grinning.

"Hmph", came the reply.

Taking a defensive stance, the person wasn't about to surrender. Ed shook his head, and readied himself for a fight.

"All right then. You asked for it."

Lunging forward, Ed moved quickly, but apparently not quick enough. Just as he went for a direct hit to the face, The hooded figure moved out of the way. Grabbing his left arm and twisting him around. Ed was thrown backwards, stunned at the speed of his apponent's movement. He tried again, but this time his leg was caught, and Ed was thrown to the ground. He was getting angry. Jumping to his feet, he ran after the person. They turned and headed strait for the wall. Ed was sure he had them now, but just as they reached the wall, the suspect ran up the side and flipped right over Edward's head, landing behind him. They crossed their arms in front of them, and sat crouching on the ground. Wind began to blow intensely towards Edward. Picking up a long chain from the ground nearby, and whipping it towards Ed. He was now tied up, and unable to get free. Not only surprised with the transmutation, Ed was furious.

"DAMMIT! You got a lot of nerve pal!"

"Not as much as you. Don't you know its not polite to barg in someone's room without permission?"

Ed's face went from angry to surprised upon hearing the person's voice. The alley was dark, but there were lights. Stepping into one of them, the figure removed their hood, and reveiled the face bebeath it. Ed's eyes went wide, and his face flushed. Standing before him was a girl about his own age, with Alburn hair. Two long tails down to her hips tied back, and the rest shoulder length, loosly resting on her neck.

"Thats right, I'm a girl. Surprised?", she finished his sentence for him.

"Well... sort of.", Ed barely managed to spit the words out.

"Hmph. Men. You're all the same. Look I don't want to fight.", she shook her head, and walked towards him.

"What are you doing?", Ed regained his alertness to the situation.

"I'm untying you dummy. What do you think I'm doing?", she snapped.

Slightly confused, he let her approche. She untied the chains, and dropped them to the ground. Ed dusted himself off, then looked at her, still confused. This annoyed her greatly.

"What the hell are you staring at?", she barked at him angrily.

"N..nothing. I thought..."

"What? That I was the serial killer on the loose? I was snooping around yes, but I'm not a cold hearted murdurer."

An awkward silence tainted the air around them. The girl began to walk away, when Al finally found them. Staring in shock, he looked towards Ed, who was equally surprised by the result of their chase. Then he glanced at the person they had been in pursuit of. Al's eyes widened, when he saw her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four, Looking for who?**

"Brother? What's going on?", Al was confused with the sight before him.

Ed stood in the middle of a pile of chains, and his face was still red, with embarrasment. He hadn't expected to find a girl to be a major suspect. She walked past Alphonse, heading for the open street. Al was confused. If she was who they were looking for, why wasn't Ed going to stop her?

"Ed, you're just letting her walk away? I thought she was the one we were after?", Al said, staring after the girl.

"What? No I'm not letting her get away!"

"You're just mad because you were beat by a girl. Am I right?", she said, stopping at the entrace to the alley.

"I am not!", Ed yelled at her.

"Right, whatever. I don't have time for this.", she turned and started to walk away again.

Al stepped in front of her, blocking her path. She simply looked at him, and sighed. She hadn't intended on leaving that night, but with them chasing her now, she wanted to get out of Central as soon as possible. She didn't want a fight, but if they kept stalling her, she would have to do something to get away.

"Look, I'm not your killer, and I don't want any more trouble. So just let me pass.", she glared at Alphonse.

"We can't let you leave yet. First of all, why were you sneaking around on military grounds?", Ed had come up behind her after he had calmed down.

"That's my buisiness. I'm looking for someone, and I found out what I needed to know, so now I'm leaving. Does that answer your question?", she turned to look at Ed.

"Not really. There's more to it than that, isn't there?", he grinned.

"It's not your concern. So let me go.", she was getting annoyed with them.

"I'm sorry, but we can't do that.", Al replied.

"We're gonna have to take you with us back to HQ. They'll wanna ask you some questions."

"Not interested. I've got other things to do.", she said, and tried to push past Al.

Al grabbed her arm, refusing to let go. She gave him an angry stare, then twisted her arm out of his grip. She took off running, heading for the outskirts of the city. Ed cursed, and the brothers ran after her. It was turning into a game of cat and mouse, and neither one was about to give up.

* * *

--Back at Sarah's house--

Zowy had gone to bed, her new kitten sleeping beside her, which she had named Ren. Zander sat with his elder sister at the kitchen table. Neither of them said a word for the longest time. Sarah had made them both a snack, and was now playing with a strand of her Silvery blue hair. Her mind was lost in deep thought, over everything that happened. What was she supposed to do now? Her parents, even though far away, still provided money for them, and cared for them from a distance. She would have to find a better job now. Her current job was only part time, and wouldn't provide much money for three of them. But something bothered her more than that. It was the thought, of who had killed them. She wanted to know. She wanted to see with her own eyes, who it was that attacked the village her parents were staying in. When those thoughts passed through her mind, Zander spoke up.

"Sarah?"

"Yeah?"

"I can help too you know."

"What do you mean?"

"I wanna help. I can find a job too. You and Zowy won't have to worry.", he looked at his sister, his dark brown eyes full of determination.

"Zander..."

"I want to."

She was proud to hear her brother say it. But even so, they couldn't do it on their own. And if Sarah was going to find out about her parent's death, she was going to have to go out and find the info herself. She decided that she would go, but had to do something about Zowy, and Zander first.

"Listen. I was planning on going away, to find out something about Mom and Dad. So I'm going to ask Aunt Jessie to come and watch over you and Zowy."

"But, sister..."

"I know, its way too soon, but I have to find out. Zander, please take care of her while I'm gone okay.", she looked at him, her soft grey eyes were sad, and hurt.

"Okay. When are you leaving?", he asked.

"I'll call Aunt Jessie tomorrow, first thing. As soon as she gets here, I'll be going.", her answer was calm.

The two said nothing for the rest of the night, and both brother and sister headed off to sleep. She knew it wouldn't be easy, leaving them behind. But she had to know, and wouldn't give up until she found her answer.

* * *

--Back on the streets--

The boys had been chasing her for hours, but still hadn't managed to catch her. She was getting very annoyed with their persistancy, and had just about enough of it. Deciding not to run any more, she stopped, and waited for them to catch up. Ed and Al saw her, just ahead of them, standing and looking towards them. Slowing to a stop, Ed tried to catch his breath.

"Geeze! (huff) Would you give it up already?"

"Please. Just stop running and come with us.", Al pleaded. Not wanting to keep up the chase any longer either.

"Why do you think I stopped dummy?"

"Wha?", both brothers looked at each other, then back at the girl.

"I'm sick of running around in circles. If you want me to go with you that bad, then I will. Better to get it over with, than to hide forever from something I didn't do.", she said in a stern voice.

"Then why the hell didn't you just do that earlier!", Ed yelled again.

"I didn't think you'd be so stubborn as to follow me for this long. Apparently I was wrong."

"My brother is pretty stubborn."

"HEY! You're not supposed to agree with her Al!"

"Are we going or not? If not, then I'm leaving.", she snapped.

"We ARE going. Now come on.", Ed snapped back at her.

The boys lead the way, and the girl followed. She figured that if she went with them anyway, maybe she could get a strait answer on the missing records on her grandfather. When they reached headquarters, Roy Mustang was already waiting in his office to see them. He wasn't surprised to see them come back so late. What did surprise him, was the young lady that was with them. Although it didn't stop him from making a comment of the current situation.

"Whats this? Picking up girls now Fullmetal?", he grinned at his own remark.

"NO! For your information Colonel, THIS is your suspect in question!", Ed's face had turned bright red in anger.

"And it took you this long to bring her here?"

"She actually put up quite the resistance. We were chasing her for a while, then she came with us on her own.", Al answered for his brother.

"Hmm. Well I guess we'll have to ask you some questions then Miss."

Roy looked at the girl standing next to Ed and Al. She didn't seem too happy to be there, but she was relativley calm, for someone being brought in for questioning. She simply stared back at him. Her deep emerald eyes, gave no sign as to what she might be thinking. Her expressionless gaze made Roy uncomfortable, and he turned away. He motioned for them all to take a seat. Both Ed and Al sat down, but the girl remained standing.

"Well, lets start with who you are. What's your name Miss?", Mustang said, but didn't look at her face.

"My name, is Eliza.", she answered him.

"Eliza? Anything more to it?"

"Strylen.", she replied, her gaze hardened on Mustang.

Upon hearing this, somthing clicked in the back of Roy's mind. He had heard that name before. It sent chills down his back, but he maintained his composure, and continued with his interrigation.

"All right Miss Strylen. Why exactly were you snooping around Central Headquarters these past few days?"

"Maybe you should ask your supeiriors that.", she snapped

This caught Roy off guard, and his eyes grew wide. It was clear she was looking for information on someone in the military, and Roy thought he knew who.

"I'm not your serial killer. All I wanna know is what happened to Lieutenant Colonel Duncan Strylen, during the rebellion in Ishbal.", she said firmly.

"In Ishbal?", Mustang was beggining to grow tense.

"That's right. You must have noticed the missing files from the records in the library. Or maybe you Military thugs just don't give a damn!", she raised her voice.

"Calm down Miss Strylen. I was informed on the missing files yes."

"Well then why isn't anyone doing anything!", her temper was on edge.

"We already have someone looking into it. It's none of your concern Miss...", he was cut off.

"Like hell its not my concern! Duncan Strylen was my grandfather! A state alchemist as well, working along side someone named Marcoh!"

This caught Ed and Al's attention on the argument. She knew someone who worked with Dr. Marcoh, and he was her grandfather none the less. Mustang couldn't say anything. He remembered the older man in Ishbal, and he knew why she must be so angry. The military hadn't let out any information on what happened to the Lieutenant Colonel, or his work with Dr. Marcoh. Roy could feel her eyes watching him, and the anger that radiated from her.

"Grampa told me, when I was younger, what his research was. He told me what he had to do and where he was going! So you tell me, why! Why doesn't the military care!", she turned on her heels and stormed out of Mustang's office. Several guards tried to stop her, but Mustange warned them not too. Letting out an exausted sigh, he turned to the Elric brothers.

"Edward, could you please go after her?", Roy was rubbing his temple from the oncomming headache.

"Why me?", Ed groaned.

"Because you and Alphonse brought her hear in the first place, and she may listen to you more than me."

"We only brought her because YOU told us too!", Ed snapped.

"Yes thats true Ed. And it's obvious she's not the murdurer. But there are some things I need to confirm with her.", Mustang explained.

"Great. Come on Al. Guess we gotta go chase her down again."

They got up from their seats, and headed out the door after Eliza. Roy let out a sigh of relief, and finally relaxed a bit. What he had seen in the girl's eyes before she stormed out, was anger, and pain. He sat thinking about what he would do next, and what to do about the girl.

Ed and Al had caught up to Eliza. She was aimlessly walking around the halls, trying to clear her head of what just happened. She lost her temper again, and forced herself to cool down. Still walking at a fast pace around the halls, she didn't even notice the boys following her.

"Hey! Would you slow down!", Ed shouted, "HEY!"

She stopped and turned to look at them. Her anger had finally subsided, and the calm expression returned to her face. She stood and waited for them to approche, starring blankly at them.

"So what the heck was all that about?", Ed asked curiously.

"Why'd you follow me?", she avoided his question.

"The Colonel told us to come get you.", Al replied.

"Great. So now I need babysitters here?", she wasn't impressed.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is, but you could at least let the guy say what he needs to.", Ed pounded himself for actually defending Roy.

"(sigh) It's not entirely about my grandfather. More or less his research. I already know he died in Ishbal, and I hate the military for not letting us know."

"So what are you looking for?", Al asked, a tone of concern in his voice.

"I'm looking... never mind, it's not your buisness.", she lowered her eyes, and turned away.

Ed and Al didn't say anything. The three headed back to Mustang's office, and waited. Lieutenant Hawkeye showed them in once again, and this time all three sat down. Eliza stared at the floor this time, she hadn't meant to blow up in anyones face, and she felt bad for doing it. Mustang looked at her again, acknowledging her silent appology.

"I don't blame you for losing your temper Miss Strylen."

"So, what do you want?", she wanted to hurry up and leave.

"I was only wondering what you might have heard, about the serial killings. It's gotten quite out of hand, and we need any information we can get."

"Can't help you there. I'm not interested in any serial killer", her hard glare returning.

"I see. In that case I don't have much choice."

"What?", she looked at Mustang, slightly confused.

"Miss Strylen, from here on you'll be under the military's serveilance. You will have an escort with you at all times, and if anything happens, they are to report back to me imediately.", Roy stood up from behind his desk.

"What! Under servielance, like hell I am!", she was flaring up again, but regained controll quickly.

"Relax, it's only until we can confirm you have nothing to do with the murdurs."

"I thought that was clear already!", she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Words often aren't enough. Without proof, I'm afraid this is the alternative.", came Mustang's reply.

"Colonel, is it really necessary? I mean, she hasn't done anything that bad.", Al tried to defend her.

"Sorry, but it's my final decision on the matter."

"So who are you giving this bogus little assignment to?", Ed asked, not that he really cared.

Roy simply raised an eyebrow at him. The grin on his face returned, and it made Ed cringe to see it. Eliza just sat glaring at the Flame Alchemist. She had only known him for maybe twenty minutes, and hated him already. Looking at Ed, then back at Eliza, Roy had already decided who would be assigned to watch her.

"This "bogus little assignment" Fullmetal, is now yours.", Mustang's smirk grew.

"WHAT?", Ed shouted, eyes wide as he jumped from his seat.

"From here on you and Al will be keeping a close eye on Miss Strylen. If you have any objections Fullmetal, get over them.", finalizing his decision.

"Why you! I don't have time to babysit some crazy girl!", Ed yelled, earning himself an angry stare from his new, "assignment".

"Easy Ed, I don't want to have to tell you again. Now I suggest you all get some rest. I'm sending you north tomorrow, to investigate another incident."

"Oh great, so that means I'm getting dragged into this too. This day just got really lowsy.", Eliza flopped her head down.

"You're dismissed Fullmetal."

Lieutenant Haweye led the three out of Mustang's office, and they headed up to the dorms. Edward made a fuss the whole way there. Before they got to Ed and Al's room, Eliza had a though, that made her quite uncomfortable.

"Oh hell no. They don't expect me to stay in the same room!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five, Leaving for North**

The three of them stared at each other, as they stood outside the boy's room.

"What? Oh man, the Colonel never said anything about that! They didn't give her any other room!", Ed fumed.

"Well, she can take my bed. I'll just sit on the floor.", Al offered.

"That's not the point.", Eliza answered him, annoyance traced her voice.

She was stressed out beyond belief. Not only had she been caught, she now had to be watched over by a state alchemist for something she had nothing to do with. It didn't help she was pissed off at the military already. She hated Colonel Mustang for putting her in this position, and she hated herself, for getting caught. They went inside, and Eliza looked around. Ed took off his coat, and flopped down on one of the beds, letting out some mumble about getting his hands on Mustang. Al just stood for a moment before sitting down on the floor beside Edward's bed. Eliza let out a sigh. She was stuck with them for the time being, and there wasn't much she could do about it.

"Well I guess theres not much choice. We'll just have to deal with it. And besides, theres guards posted outside anyway. Don't think I can cause much trouble.", she walked over to the other bed.

"Hmph. I don't like this any more than you do.", Ed growled.

"Doesn't surprise me. You look like the kind of guy who'd rather sleep in a barn, than have a strange girl in the same room.", she glanced at him.

Ed's face flushed, and he turned to look out the window. Al didn't say anything. Eliza sighed again, scratching the back of her neck. Everything was going all right until she ran into these two. Or at least things were how she had expected them to be, before she met them. "_Let my guard down for five minutes, and all hell breaks loose. What have I got myself into this time."_. She looked at Ed, who was still staring out the window. Then she decided she might as well get some rest. She pulled her feet up on the bed, then rolled on her side facing the wall.

"Night.", she said, with hardly any sort of expression.

"Night.", Came Al's reply.

Edward said nothing. He glanced at her for a brief second, then turned his gaze to the floor. Swinging his feet up on the bed, he turned on his side, shut his eyes, and soon fell asleep.

* * *

--The next morning--

Sarah woke up with a wet pillow. She had been crying in her sleep, from the events the day before. She hadn't bothered to change into her pyjamas and ended up sleeping in her clothes. Heading down the stairs to meet her younger brother and sister, she lazily wiped the sleep from her eys, letting out a huge yawn in the process. Zander already had breakfast made and on the table. He had tried his best not to burn anything, and his efforts payed off. Bacon and eggs naver tasted so good, in Sarah's opinion. Zowy was content with her brother's cooking for once, and gobbled up her food in no time. Ren sat beside her on the floor, happily drinking milk from a bowl. Zowy reached down to pat the kitten, and Ren looked up at her, giving a soft "Meow", in reply.

"Well, I guess I'll give Aunt Jessie a call.", Sarah said, tiredness still rang in her voice.

"Aunt Jessie is coming?", Zowy's bright green eyes stared at her sister, in curiousity.

"Yeah, You were already asleep when Sarah told me Zowy.", Zander explained.

"Oh. Okay. Is she bringing Taressa with her?", the little girl asked.

"Don't know yet. She'll probably bring her. After all Taressa hasn't seen you guys for a while. She'll be glad to come stay.", Sarah said, smiling at her sister.

"Yay! Aunt Jessie and Taressa are comming to visit! Come on Ren, we gotta go get dressed.", she smiled a the cat, and picked him up.

Zowy took Ren, and happily skipped up to her room. Zander and Sarah watched her as she danced up the stairs, shutting the door behind her. Sarah grinned, as she finished off her breakfast. Sipping on her orange juice, she sat quietly at the table. Her brother cleared Zowy's dishes, placing them in the sink. He turned to his elder sister, with genuine concern in his eyes.

"So are you going to tell her why?", he asked.

"I will Zander. Just not yet. She seems so happy right now, I don't want to spoil it for her right away.", came Sarah's response.

"Yeah."

Sarah got up from her seat, and headed for the phone. Dailing her aunt's number, she waited as the phone rang. The voice on the other end sounded happy, and sweet.

"Hello, Jessie speaking."

"Hey Aunt Jessie. How are you?"

"Oh Sarah, my it's been a while. How have you been lately? Is Zowy eating right?"

"Zowy's good. Listen, Aunt Jessie. Something has come up, and I need you to come and take care of Zander and Zowy for a while."

"Oh? What's wrong dear?", concern entered the woman's voice.

"We got some bad news yesterday. Mom and Dad... are...gone.", Sarah held back the tears, as her throat tightened.

"...Oh Sarah. Hun I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. We had some help to get through the shock. It would be great if you could get here tonight. I'm... packing to go somewhere."

"I'll be there soon dear. Taressa and I will start packing right away."

"Thanks Aunt Jessie. I'll see you later."

"Of course dear."

Sarah hung up the phone, as tears slid down her cheaks. Even though her aunt lived in the city as well, it was all the way on the other side, and it still took her a while to get ready, but since it was serious, Sarah expected her much sooner. She went to her room, and started packing. She would have to travel light, so she took only what she needed. She wasn't entirely sure where to look first, but if anywhere, she would start at the village her parents had been in the north. When she had finished packing, she took her suitcase downstairs and set it by the door. Zowy came up behind her With Ren in her arms. A perplexed look on the child's face, made Sarah's heart ache even more.

"Big Sister? Where are you going?", her bright green eyes, and their innocence dug into Sarah's soul.

"Zowy, Aunt Jessie is going to look after you guys for a while.", answering her sister's question.

"But why? I though it was just a visit about Mommy and Daddy?"

"Zowy, I need to go away for a while. Just to go see something okay?"

"But why big sister? Why do you have to go?", her face bacame sad, as she looked at her elder sister.

"I need to know something Zowy. I'm sorry."

"NO! You can't leave! I don't want you to! Mommy and Daddy left, and they didn't come back! You can't leave too! Big sister!", Zowy's face was nearly in tears, as she put Ren on the floor.

Grabbing her older sister around the neck, Zowy hugged her, not wanting to let go. Zander came into the room, and watched his sisters cry. He didn't want Sarah to leave, but he understood why she was going. Sobbing into the neck of her shirt, Zowy held her sister tight. Sarah returned her sister's hug, rubbing her back and trying to calm her down. It hurt enough that she had to leave, and this wasn't making it any easier for her.

"You can't go, you can't!"

"Zowy, she has too. It's for all of us, and Mom and Dad.", Zander said softly, trying to comfort his little sister's tears.

"Come on. Aunt Jessie'll be here any minute now.", Sarah said, still hugging her little sister.

Zowy finally let her sister go, and picked up Ren once more. She wiped her eyes from crying, and let a snifle or two come out. The doorbell rang, and Zander opened it to see their Aunt, standing in the doorway with Taressa standing beside her, and several large suitcases. Sarah smiled when she saw Jessie, and welcomed her Aunt's embrace.

"Hey Aunt Jessie. Thanks so much for coming.", Sarah hugged her tightly.

"Of course dear. Any time."

"Aunt Jessie!", Zowy squeeled.

"Well hello there sweety. Have you been a good girl?", Jessie, let Sarah out of her embrace and knelt down to catch Zowy.

"We missed you!", Zowy squeezed her aunt, with her small arms.

"Hi Taressa.", Zander finally piped up from behind the door.

"Hi Zander.", she smiled at him.

Taressa was the same age as Zander, and she wasn't related to them. She was only staying with their aunt, after an accident that took her own parents lives. The two had an obvious affection for each other, and Sarah was glad her brother would have a bit of a distraction. She put on her coat, and picked up her suitcase, well aware of the looks she recieved from her siblings.

"Well, I'll be going. The sooner I leave the sooner I come home.", she smiled.

"You take care of yourself dear.", Jessie said, hugging her niece once more.

"Promise you'll come home?", Zowy stared hard, into her sister's soft grey eyes.

"Promise.", she winked.

She turned to Zander, and he nodded his head. Sarah stepped out the door, waving to her family. Then she turned and headed for the train station. She was on her way, but what she would find was something she worried about more than anything else right now.

* * *

--Back at Central HQ--

Ed groaned, as the sun hit his face from the window. He wasn't looking forward to his new assignment, or having to drag her everywhere he went. He turned over, and tried to go back to sleep, when the girl's voice got his attention.

"Hey! Would you get up already! For someone in the military, you're pretty lazy."

"Brother come on. We have to catch the train soon.", Al said, trying to stir his brother from sleep.

"You guys are worse than a couple of roosters at dawn. Give me a break will ya?", Ed muttered, his face half in his pillow.

"Oh no you don't! You're getting your butt outta bed now!", Eliza shouted.

Crossing her arms in front of herself, a cold wind suddenly blew the window open. Al watched as Ed was literally blown off his bed, and against the wall. When the wind faded, Eliza stood with her arms folded across her chest, and a grin on her face. Edward glared at her, as he sat on the floor with his back now in slight pain.

"What the hell was that for!"

"So you would get out of bed. What do you think it was for?", she answered him.

"Eliza, you... didn't use a circle.", Al pointed out that slight detail, "And what exactly did you do?"

"What I did? That's simple. I manipulated the flow of air around me. When I change the way the air current moves, I can create either a strong gust of wind, or even a large tornado if I make the force strong enough.", she avoided the first part completely.

"Thats pretty impressive, but you still didn't answer his first question.", Ed stated, getting up from his forced spot on the floor.

"How about I don't, and say I did.", she replied in a serious tone.

Ed only glared at her more. That didn't look good on her part, if she kept hiding something as important as not using a circle. He didn't see anything that would allow her to do so, and she hadn't clapped her hands together to create a circle like himself either. He remembered Sarah had her arm bands, and Mustang had his gloves, but Eliza didn't seem to have anything. Ed grabbed his coat, and threw it on, walking towards the door. Al followed him, and Eliza did shortly after.

On the way to the train station, it was nothing but intense silence. The odd time Ed and Al would start to talk about something, but it wouldn't last long. Eliza didn't say a word, the entire way there. Al had tried to start a conversation with her, but it didn't go anywhere. He tried asking about her, and where she was from. She snapped back at him, saying it was none of their buisiness. Alphonse gave in rather quickly to her unwillingness to talk, appologised, and tried to explain his reasons for asking in the first place.

"Sorry, I was just wondering. I thought since we'll be around each other for a while, we might as well get to know one another."

"Then get to know this. I don't need anyone to babysit me, and I certainly don't need the two of you trying to stick your noses into my buisness. So just butt out."

"Hey! He just asked a simple question! You don't have to be so nasty about it!", Ed shouted back at her.

"You don't have to yell. I'm about three feet away from you, and I can hear just fine.", she glared at him.

"Brother, just leave her alone. She doesn't have to say if she doesn't want to."

"Well she doesn't have to freak out at you either.", Ed shot her an angry scowl.

Eliza ingnored both of them. She had no intention of following them around like a dog on a leash. The only thing on her mind, was finding a way to ditch them, and move on to her next stop. They didn't say anything more, until they reached the station.

When they got there, a familiar face greeted them. Soft grey eyes, lit up with delight to see Ed and Al again so soon. Al was happy to see her smiling, and Ed just grinned as she ran to meet them.

"Edward, Alphonse, who would have guessed I'd see you guys the next day?", she smiled sweetly.

"How is Zowy doing now? And Zander?", Al asked.

"Still upset, but they are doing better.", she lowered her eyes.

"So, where are you off to Sarah?", Ed's question tugged at her.

Her reply was hesitant, but she eventually told them she was headed north. The brothers looked at each other, then looked back at Sarah. They knew first hand, what she had just been through. Sarah was silent for a moment, but then her smile came back, as if nothing were ever wrong.

"So, How did it go for you two last night? Did you find anything out at all?", she said, noticing the girl standing off to the side.

"Yeah well, it wasn't an easy night I can tell you that.", Ed ruffled his bangs.

"Oh? What happened? If you don't mind me asking.", turning her attention back to the boys.

"She happened.", Ed pointed to the girl who was with them.

"I do have a name you know.", she snapped.

"Sarah, this is Eliza.", Al introduced the two girls.

"Hi, nice to meet you.", Sarah smiled, walked up to her, and extended a hand.

Sarah stood smiling in front of her, but Eliza didn't move. She only glanced at the other girl's hand, and turned away. Her patience was slowly starting to slip away, and she wanted to get going.

"Right. Are we leaving yet or what?", ignorring the gesture, as she turned to Ed.

"HEY! That was rude!", Sarah shouted.

"Hey short stuff, I asked if we were leaving.", still ignorring the smaller girl.

Ed stiffened, and a vein popped from his forehead. Sarah forgot about Eliza being rude, long enough to assist Al in holding back the blond headed alchemist. Eliza just stood calmly. One eyebrow raised at the odd, yet amusing sight before her. Several other pairs of eyes from around them, were fixed on the awkward scene.

"WHO'RE YOU CALLIN SO SHORT YOU CAN'T STEP ON HIM CUZ YOU NEED A MICROSCOPE JUST TO SEE HIM HUH!", his arms flailed wildly, while Sarah and Al continued to hold him back, " YOU'RE NOT ANY TALLER THAN ME YOU KNOW!"

This was true. Eliza stood eye level with him. She hadn't actually meant much by pointing out his height, but she laughed to herself when she saw him flip out over something so silly.

"Brother, calm down."

"Geeze Ed, and I though I had height issues.", Sarah shook her head.

"Oh goody. And I'm stuck with you for god knows how long.", Eliza rolled her eyes.

When Edward finally calmed down, Al and Sarah let him go, both letting out a sigh of relief. By the time their little episode was finished, the trains were set for passengers to bord. When they had gotten themselves seated, Sarah was pleased to see that they were also headed north. Al offered her a seat next to him and she gladly accepted. There weren't many other passengers, so Eliza chose to sit across from them on her own. She sat gazing out the window, as the train slowly began to inch forward.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six, Inhuman Malice, Attempted Escape**

Deep ruby eyes, gazed intently as so many people were dying before them. The young girl watched, as blood was shed endlessly, and screams of horror hit her ears. The entire village was destroyed, and all for the sake of a young man's need, and determination of getting her back. Her baclk, navy hair blew in the wind, as she sat quietly watching on a hilltop. One building after another, crumbling at his will.

"His motivation is his hatered. For everyone.", she spoke softly to herself, "He blames them all for my death before. How very tragic indeed. But who am I to begin with? He said I was his sister, once upon a time."

"Malice. Are you ready to leave?", a young man's voice came from behind her.

"Yes. I hate waiting you know. You said it wouldn't take long."

"I know. But I needed all of their lives. It can't be finished without them.", he replied.

"Why? Why do you want me back so badly? I was dead wasn't I? So what am I now? Answer me!", her childish anger flared at the young man.

"You'll see soon enough. You're not human, but I can change that."

"Not human. So what am I?", she asked again.

"Lets go. There's still much to be done. I have to find the Ishbalan man. He has something I need."

Walking away without answering her question, His short, reddish brown hair flowed in the breeze. Long bangs covered his blue, green eyes. Malice didn't understand what he meant, or why he was trying to bring her back. All she knew was that he had found her, alone, and seemed to know who she was. Or at least who she used to be. As she followed him, the image of flames surrounding a child, identical to herself, passed through her head. "_Was that... a memory?_"

* * *

--On the train--

Sarah was laughing, as Al told her some of the stories of their travels, and their childhood. They told her about Resembool, and Winry, who was a good friend, as well as Ed's automail mechanic. She liked hearing about them, and enjoyed the stories very much. She even told them more of her own childhood, though she hadn't travelled as much as them. Ed laughed at the memories as well, and flared up in defence, when Al would tell something that envoled him getting into trouble. The train ride was long, and it would take about a day or so, to get to the northern village where they were headed. So passing the time with stories and playing cards was all they could really do. Of course every game they played, Ed had won, and Sarah finally declaired that he had been cheating the whole time.

Eliza sat listening, glancing back at them from time to time. She wasn't interested in playing any card games, but she did listen a little to Al and Sarah's stories. It made her think. Her thought's trailed off, and she soon fell asleep.

Ed had enough of playing cards for the time, considering Sarah was catching on to his his winning streak, and decided to watch the trees go by outside. time had passed very quickly it seemed, and darkness had already fallen. Sarah had gotten hungry, so she went to the dining car to find somehing to eat. Ed had already raided the dining car earlier, and was regretting eating so much. His stomache felt like someone hit him ten times with an iron fist, and then some. Al sat across from him, staring out the window as well.

"So what do you think we'll find when we get there?", Al began the conversation.

"Who knows. Hopfully something worth while so we can get this stupid thing over with."

"You think it's the same place Sarah's parents were?", he turned to look at Ed.

"I'm hoping its not, for her sake. But something tells me thats where we're headed.", Ed frowned.

Al looked across the aile where Eliza was sitting, fast asleep. She was lying on her side, legs pulled in close to her, and using her arm as a pillow. Al couldn't help but wonder about her. Whatever her reasons for doing what she did, he still felt she wasn't a bad person. She was just misunderstood, like many others they had met before.

"She looks so peaceful, doesn't she brother?"

"Huh?" Ed had been staring into nowhere.

"She seems like she's been through a lot, but I know she's not bad. She's got her reasons, just like us."

"Hmm, maybe. But still, she was snooping on military ground. That's reason enough for keeping an eye on her, even if I'm the one stuck with the job.", Ed gritted his teeth as he said the last bit.

"Come on Ed, she didn't mean what she said earlier. I'm sure she just wasn't thinking when she said it.", Al knew what his brother was referring to.

"Well maybe she should start thinking before she says stuff.", he glared at the sleeping girl across from them.

"_You're one to talk brother. You say stuff without thinking all the time."_, Al thought as he sighed to himself. Ed stared for a minute or two, his thoughts focused on the, "Hey short stuff", coment that Eliza had made earlier that day. She might not have meant anything by it, but it meant something to him. He was still glaring at her, when Sarah returned from her snack quest.

"Hey guys, I'm back.", she smiled, holding several edible items in her arms.

"Welcome back Sarah.", Al replied.

"What took you so long?", Ed asked, turning to face her.

"Well, they had lots to pick from, so I just grabbed a bunch and figured I'd bring it with me. You guys want any?", she held out a bag of sunflower seeds to Ed.

"No thanks. I'm still recovering from the meal I had.", looking at the food made his stomache hurt even more.

"Al? How about you?", she turned to look at him, not knowing his secret.

"No thank you. I'm not really hungry.", waving his hands nervously in front of him.

"Oh. Okay then, more for me and Eliza.", she smiled, and turned to their other travel companion, but frowned when she saw her sleeping.

"Aww, I can't eat all this myself.", she whined.

"Just put it away for later or something. We should be getting some sleep too anyway.", Ed told her.

Sarah nodded, and stuffed most of the snacks into her travel bag. Sitting down next to Al once again, she ate a few cookies and some peanuts, then decided that was enough. She looked at Ed, and Al curiously. They had told her a lot about them now, but there was just something that didn't add up. Like why Al wore that big suit of armour, and what happened to make them decide to join the military. She couldn't understand what they were hiding, but she figured she wouldn't bother asking. They must have reasons for not telling her. Eliza on the other hand, was just as strange. She refused to even say a word, the whole time they were on the train. Sarah wondered just what could make anyone that bitter. She could tell Eliza wasn't a cruel person, or anything along those lines, but she couldn't understand why she acted so hateful, and rude. "_Kinda like Zander before all this mess._". Sarah shrugged off the thought, and decided to try and get some rest.

"Well I'm going to catch some shut eye. Or at least try to.", she smiled at the boys.

"All right. We'll wake you if anything happens.", Al said.

Nodding her head again, Sarah leaned against the side of the car, and slowly dosed off. Al looked at her, then at his brother. Ed was also tired, from the uneventful day. He wanted nothing more right now, then to get back to looking for the Philosopher's stone. But that would have to wait untill this was over. Glancing back at the additional assignment, who was still sleeping peacfully. Ed reminded himself to give Mustang a good kick in the ass when they got back, before he finally dosed off himself.

* * *

--Elsewhere--

Three figures sat in the dark, discussing amongst themselves the issue of a certain red stone, and what seemed to be a new threat to their desires. A tall dark haired woman, a round and odd looking man, and another with rather booshy looking hair.

"Well what should we do then? The boy's gone off on another tangent, and it's starting to piss me off.", the wild haired figure spoke.

"Patience Envy. It just means we'll have to wait a bit longer."

"I'm sick of all this waiting. And what about that other one? We can't just let him run around unchecked."

"Ooo, can I eat him? Please Lust can I?", the short round one pleaded desperatley.

"I'm not too worried about him yet. At the least he gives the military a distraction for the time.", the woman answered.

"Fine, just so long as he doesn't interfear. What about the little one travelling with him though?"

"You mean the one like us? Homonculus or not, she's none of our concern. Those two are nothing but a small bump in the road.", she grinned evilly with her reply.

"You'd better be right Lust. Or it'll be a problem for us all.", returning her grin.

* * *

--Back on the train--

Eliza opened her eyes slowly. It was still dark out, which meant she had only been sleeping for a couple of hours. She sat up and stretched her arms, looking over at the others across from her. Ed and Sarah were both asleep, and Al seemed to be just staring into nowhere. This was a perfect opportunity for her to leave them behind. She got up quietly, and made her way to the back of the train.

Alphonse had been off in a daze, but quickly noticed something wasn't right. Looking over where Eliza had been, he got up from his seat, and woke Ed.

"Brother, brother wake up."

"Wha? What is it Al?", came the half muttered response.

"It's Eliza, she's gone."

"What!", Ed shot to attention, "Where?"

"I don't know, I wasn't paying attention. She must have left while you and Sarah were sleeping."

"Oh this is just great. Come on Al, we'd better find her."

"What about Sarah?"

Al looked at her. Somehow she was still sleeping, even after Ed had shouted. Getting up from his seat, Edward scratched his head and sighed.

"Well It's not like we have to keep an eye on her. She just happened to be heading the same way.", came his answer.

"I guess so."

"C'mon Al, knowing that annoying bratt, she's probably trying to get away."

"You don't think she'd try to get off while it's still moving do you?"

"Who knows, but I wouldn't be surprised. Let's head to the baggage cars. Chances are that's where she'd go."

They headed for the back cars, making their way as quickly as possible through the ailes of the train. Sarah was still sleeping peacfully, completely oblivious to what was happening.

Eliza shuffled through all the luggage, pushing her way to the end of the last car. She had realized she would have to jump from the platform, but that never stopped her before. It certainly wasn't the first time she'd run away from something, and it probably wouldn't be the last either. Jumping from a fast moving object was easy enough for her. She opened the door, and stood on the platform. The wind from the train's movement was strong, but she only grinned as she stared at the tracks underneath her.

Ed and Al finally reached the last car, and they were hurrying through, checking any place they figured she could be hiding. Ed dreaded the thought of returning to Central, and explaining to Mustang that they had been sleeping, and she snuck away. He could hear the Colonel's voice in his head, taunting him for another failure.

"Come on Al! She's gotta be here somewhere!"

"We checked everywhere else. This is the last car."

"Not everywhere.", Ed looked at the door, "I'll bet she either jumped already, or is going to."

Edward grabbed the handle on the door and turned it. The door swung open, startling both boys, and the girl on the other side. Eliza cursed, and moved aside, out of their view. She was lucky they hadn't seen her just yet. Still hoping to get away, she found the ladder on the side of the car, and quickly climbed it. She waited, and watched as Ed and Al stepped out on the platform. She didn't dare jump from this height, especially at the velocity the train was travelling at. Instead, she sat clinging to the top of the car, hoping they would think she already jumped. To her dissapointment, they didn't give in.

"Dammit! I was sure she'd be out here!", Ed shouted.

"Brother, look.", Al ponited to the ladder on the side of the car.

"Well what do we have here?", Edward grinned, and took hold of one of the steps.

"Think she's up there?", Al asked.

"Only one way to find out.", he started to climb up.

Just as Ed reached the top, a foot came crashing into his face, nearly knocking him right off the train. Struggling to regain his hold on the ladder, Ed's head was spinning from the hit.

"OWW!"

"Brother! Are you okay?"

Al moved forward to help Ed, but was sent into the railing of the platform with another foot to his face. Jumping down from the roof, and getting her balance from the force of the wind, Eliza ran back inside, shutting and locking the door behind her.

"Dammit. A lot of good this'll do me. I'm back where I started.(sigh) Those two just won't quit."

Looking around for any place to hide within thirty seconds, Eliza decided it was useless to try and run. At least while she was still on the train anyway. She would just have to wait it out for now. She stood calmly beside the door and unlocked it, waiting for Edward to come crashing through in a fit of rage. Sure enough, that's exactly what he did. Stressmarks on his forehead, and a footprint planted on his face, Ed looked around, ready to blow up as soon as he found her.

"Where the hell is she! She's really gonna get it now!", Ed was furious.

"Ahem. I'm right here."

"Wha?"

Al stood in front of the door, and Eliza stood beside him. Eyes closed, she had a smirk on her face, that almost looked appologetic. Al just stared at his brother, shrugging his shoulder's at the scene.

"What the... Why the Hell?", Ed was now rather confused.

"I give up, you win this time. There's no point to continue, I've got nowhere to run.", she looked up at him.

"Well that was stupid. I just got smashed in the face, by your foot, for absolutley no reason!", Ed yelled.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"WHY YOU!"

"Brother..."

Ed was ready to tear her apart, but Al held him back. Eliza couldn't help snickering to herself. It had been stupid, but it was kind of fun. They still had another day to go on the train, so any form of excitement, was good enough for her. This had been quite the chase, and at least she wasn't bored anymore.

The three headed back to their seats. Ed was exausted from the whole event, not to mention he now had a sore face. Sarah hadn't moved an inch since they left, and was still sleeping when they got back. Al sat down next to her, and Ed flopped in the seat across from them. Why did he always get stuck with some crazy girl who won't listen? Putting his feet up, he fell asleep in no time at all, not caring if Eliza ran off again. Taking her seat, Eliza yawned a little as she stretched out. She would have to try again, when they got off the train, but for now, she was stuck with them.


End file.
